The European Union's nuclear energy agency (Euratom) announced on Tuesday that it does not see an immediate danger to nuclear power production in Europe if Niger cuts its uranium shipments. The agency stated that Niger, which saw a military council seize power last week, was the second-largest supplier of natural uranium to the EU last year. Euratom explained that EU facilities have sufficient stocks of uranium to fuel their reactors for three years.
It noted, "If imports from Niger are cut off, there are no immediate risks to the security of nuclear power production in the short term." Euratom mentioned that Niger supplied 2,975 tons of natural uranium, which accounted for 25.4% of the EU's supplies in 2022. Kazakhstan was the largest supplier to the bloc, with Canada ranking third. The agency clarified that the equivalent of natural uranium in the stocks owned by EU facilities last year amounted to 35,710 tons, compared to an average annual consumption of about 12,500 tons. It added that the bloc could diversify its import sources over the next three years, including from currently inactive production sites in Canada, Australia, and Namibia, as well as from new sources.
